What techniques do you use to beat the binge?
simbluej
Posts: 1 Member
We are all obviously in this group because we share a similar problem...Binging! I am just wondering what sort of techniques some of you use to beat the binge? We all know what the moment feels like when you just want to binge and nothing else matters nor do the consequences. Binging makes me feel terrible but when I'm sucked into the moment it seems like nothing else matters. What are some of the ways you are able to talk yourself out of it? I'm also wondering what some of you do when the urge comes at work. A place where we just can't pick up and go for a walk or do something else to distract ourselves. Thanks so much for any tips you may have!!!
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When I took Behavior Therapy classes last summer, this is exactly the type of thing we were being taught. If I had to sum up what I learned in one sentence - I'd say -Allow yourself to feel all of the emotions you have every day, all the time.
The main reason we binge is to avoid feeling uncomfortable emotions. It's all about emotions, not food. In order to recover, we have to re-train ourselves to allow those feelings to take their course instead of cutting them off. It's hard. It's strange. It's awful. It's unnerving. It's embarrassing. But it will get better. It takes time. It takes patience. It takes practice. Be kind to yourself. Recovery isn't like a switch you can just turn on. It takes a lot of hard work. The hardest part for me is getting back up and dusting myself off after a relapse. But there is no alternative. Nothing else is going to help me recover. So I try, try again....
"Allow yourself to feel." What?!? How do you do that? We've gotten so good at not feeling our sadness, anger, agony, fear, all the negative emotions. Some of us have also not allowed ourself to feel euphoria too. I know I get really scared when things go my way. It's like I can't just live in that moment, I'm immediately thinking about what bad thing is going to happen to counterbalance. A really good first step to allowing yourself to feel is to identify the emotion. Specifically. I actually learned a lot of new terms, I didn't realize there were SO many emotions. The next step is to identify why you're feeling that way.1 -
When I took Behavior Therapy classes last summer, this is exactly the type of thing we were being taught. If I had to sum up what I learned in one sentence - I'd say -Allow yourself to feel all of the emotions you have every day, all the time.
The main reason we binge is to avoid feeling uncomfortable emotions. It's all about emotions, not food. In order to recover, we have to re-train ourselves to allow those feelings to take their course instead of cutting them off. It's hard. It's strange. It's awful. It's unnerving. It's embarrassing. But it will get better. It takes time. It takes patience. It takes practice. Be kind to yourself. Recovery isn't like a switch you can just turn on. It takes a lot of hard work. The hardest part for me is getting back up and dusting myself off after a relapse. But there is no alternative. Nothing else is going to help me recover. So I try, try again....
"Allow yourself to feel." What?!? How do you do that? We've gotten so good at not feeling our sadness, anger, agony, fear, all the negative emotions. Some of us have also not allowed ourself to feel euphoria too. I know I get really scared when things go my way. It's like I can't just live in that moment, I'm immediately thinking about what bad thing is going to happen to counterbalance. A really good first step to allowing yourself to feel is to identify the emotion. Specifically. I actually learned a lot of new terms, I didn't realize there were SO many emotions. The next step is to identify why you're feeling that way.
Thank you for this.0 -
You are most welcome!0
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We all know what the moment feels like when you just want to binge and nothing else matters nor do the consequences. Binging makes me feel terrible but when I'm sucked into the moment it seems like nothing else matters. What are some of the ways you are able to talk yourself out of it? I'm also wondering what some of you do when the urge comes at work. A place where we just can't pick up and go for a walk or do something else to distract ourselves. Thanks so much for any tips you may have!!!
Man can I relate to this! I know exactly what this feels like. And some of you know that work is the hardest place for me to not binge. So when I am really not wanting to binge even though I want to, I DO get up and go for a walk, or go talk to someone, go on MFP and share. It's the hardest thing sometimes!0 -
Seeing a therapist and making sure I eat enough calories per day, otherwise a binge is inevitable. It may not be the next day but it will happen.
Exercise also helps because you will feel a lot less like binging if you are feeling healthy and positive from working out regularly.
I know these suggestions sound a bit boring but they really do work.0 -
making sure I eat enough calories per day, otherwise a binge is inevitable.
THIS ^
Plus - making sure I eat those calories evenly throughout the day. If I wait too long in between times I eat, it is not helpful in preventing a binge. Best to keep the blood sugar steady too. Stopping the diet mentality and instead feeding my body all day in a way that keeps my mental health happy is one of the best changes I've made to beat the binge.0 -
I constantly remind myself of this while I am ready this book right now by Geneen Roth. A lot of stuff is good from her book but I have to make sure I do not let myself get too hungry because I do know doing this will lead to a binge. I just read this whole thread and it was awesome!making sure I eat enough calories per day, otherwise a binge is inevitable.
THIS ^
Plus - making sure I eat those calories evenly throughout the day. If I wait too long in between times I eat, it is not helpful in preventing a binge. Best to keep the blood sugar steady too. Stopping the diet mentality and instead feeding my body all day in a way that keeps my mental health happy is one of the best changes I've made to beat the binge.
Thanks!!0 -
I am trying so hard to END THE GUILT.
I seem to have so much guilt all the time when I eat, even sometimes when I'm eating normal amounts of healthy food. How ridiculous is that?!? :noway: I know it is merely from years of dieting mentality. Years of thinking food - all food - was the enemy.
I love that I can come on here and share this with y'all too because those who do not know what it is like to feel guilty about eating have no clue how intense this really is. Thank you for being here! :flowerforyou:0 -
MAKE YOUR OWN RULES
In all of our lifetimes- our family, our friends, school officials, coworkers, doctors, and the media especially- have constantly told us what to eat, what not to eat, why certain foods are good or bad, what an acceptable calorie amount for a certain food should be, how much of something you should eat, what time of day to eat or not eat, what types of foods are appropriate for certain times of day, etc, etc... I know we all can name many of these.
It is time to ignore all of that and figure out what rules YOU want to abide by.
Personally, I really need to feel "food freedom", so these are a few of my rules that have really helped me with this.
- I can eat dessert for breakfast, a steak for lunch and a bowl of cereal for dinner if that's what I want. People in other countries have different eating habits than Americans and they're not necessarily unhealthy. Who's to say America's cuisine customs are right?
- I eat when I'm truly hungry no matter what time of day it is or how close to when I last ate. My hunger level is not the same every day, or even times of day.
- I don't eat anything I don't enjoy. Why should I? Because it is healthy? I can find something else just as healthy to enjoy than suffer through something I don't want to eat.
- I don't eat anything that doesn't look and/or smell appetizing.
- I have decided it is okay that I am the pickiest eater I know. Someone has to be.
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I love this one!! :laugh: :happy:MAKE YOUR OWN RULES
- I have decided it is okay that I am the pickiest eater I know. Someone has to be.0 -
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I binge when I'm bored so making sure I stay busy is a great way to beat it (sadly, I haven't been too busy lately).0
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Hey all, I'm new to the group, but very happy to be here!
I have been a yo-yo dieter for years, and binging has been a huge downfall of mine. I love to eat good food, what can I say?
Here is how I beat the binge: Pre-plan my menu for the day: I include breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, and dessert. By spreading my meals out and knowing exactly what I am going to eat, it keeps me from getting hungry and panicking. If I get hungry and don't have my healthy snack ready to go - that's when I turn in to panic mode and head directly for McDonalds (especially if I get hungry on the way home.) Once I get to McDonalds, even though a small cheeseburger would suffice, I won't stop there .. give me a #2 LARGE! lol)
So yes, plan, plan, plan ahead. I also leave some room in my calorie count for extra snacks in the case that I do get hungry. I keep nuts in my office drawer for this.
I still binge sometimes, but I have drastically reduced my binges using the above method.
Now, let me hear your thoughts on this: I follow my calorie goal pretty religiously Sunday-Friday, but on Saturday night I allow myself to eat whatever I want for dinner - WHATEVER I want. lol. Do you see this as binging? I view this as my weekly treat, and I'm not sure I could stick to my plan without knowing that I had that to look forward to on Saturday nights.0 -
Now, let me hear your thoughts on this: I follow my calorie goal pretty religiously Sunday-Friday, but on Saturday night I allow myself to eat whatever I want for dinner - WHATEVER I want. lol. Do you see this as binging? I view this as my weekly treat, and I'm not sure I could stick to my plan without knowing that I had that to look forward to on Saturday nights.
Personally, I would not consider that a binge as long as you stop when you are no longer hungry. I let myself eat what I want more than once a week- and as long as I pay attention to my hunger I'm fine. Once I surpass that and continue to eat even though I'm full, because I want to eat, because it tastes good, because I'm bored, because....any reason other than hunger then I consider it a binge.0 -
Ditto!Now, let me hear your thoughts on this: I follow my calorie goal pretty religiously Sunday-Friday, but on Saturday night I allow myself to eat whatever I want for dinner - WHATEVER I want. lol. Do you see this as binging? I view this as my weekly treat, and I'm not sure I could stick to my plan without knowing that I had that to look forward to on Saturday nights.
Personally, I would not consider that a binge as long as you stop when you are no longer hungry. I let myself eat what I want more than once a week- and as long as I pay attention to my hunger I'm fine. Once I surpass that and continue to eat even though I'm full, because I want to eat, because it tastes good, because I'm bored, because....any reason other than hunger then I consider it a binge.0 -
Thanks, ladies. You made me feel better about my Saturday night splurges! I must say, sometimes Saturday night seems like I don't get enough of my craving in because I get full so fast now. But like you said, being mindful of stopping when you are full is important, and I have been doing that.0
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Thanks for this post. It was extremely helpful. I can go for several months without a binge but I inevitably end up binging again. I always seem to forget about the connection between eating and feeling and I go straight to the guilt and then I get lost for weeks or even months. So, thanks again for this post and this group.0
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I need more people on this list, but...
Having a list of people you can call when you're gonna binge and even being able to tell them "I'm calling you because..." Obviously something is bothering you - that is why we self medicate with food. So, talk it out.0 -
It seriously isn't easy... But whenever I start binging I tell myself firmly "NO." and stop. It's usually because I'm really angry, upset or when my depression gets worse. Food is comfort, and chewing helps me get tension out. In the end of a binge I generally feel like I'm going to throw up or that my stomach is going to explode, but I still don't really want to stop. After therapy we realized it could be that I'm really trying to fill a hole. So try talking it out with someone, I'm here if needed
believe in all you guys! 0 -
thanks so much for this thread and this group--i struggle with binge eating, overeating, and it is good to have a support system here 0
